Design Challenge: free-floating, self-powered flying machine!.

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At present I would like to refocus our efforts on reducing the number of actions a player must take to move forward using piston engines (MPB, or "Moves Per Block"). Some guidelines:

*Pointing from one direction to another counts as an action.
*Scrolling a space in the inventory counts as an action.
*Each click counts as an action.
*Pressing a single key to move in a direction counts as an action. pressing two keys to move in a specific action will be counted as two actions.
*Actions are counted on a per-blocks moved basis, so a machine that moves two blocks every 4 actions is worth 2 actions per move.
*"Refueling", as in adding more blocks to the inventory or something similar, is counted separately, as a sort of tie breaker.
*In general, any keypresses count as actions. Opening the inventory, for example.
*Finally, placing a lever counts as an action, while holding down the mouse button and flicking it in order to move counts as an additional half an action, or .5

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I am effectively looking for something akin to the following monstrosity (which isn't my design):

Except self contained... and in the air! I would kill for some sort of piston powered flying machine, and I'm here to see it happen - even if only in the form of inefficient proof of concept.

Rules:

*It must be, as mentioned, completely self contained It must not need any form of track to be built, unless the device places the track semi automatically.
*It may be semi-automatic, and thus require some form of constant player input to operate. However, said input must be extremely simple. More than 5 steps in unhelpful.
*No mods, obviously. Mods and/or bugging Notch for an update would kinda defeat the purpose. However, a practical glitch that enables perpetual flight is definitely welcome.
*If you have an idea, post it! :happy.gif: Even if it doesn't fly, all related discoveries and close calls are a beautiful ballad of progress. Never hold back!
*No snail trails, unless the machine makes up for it somehow.

Why this is a challenge: As far as I know, there are no redstone power sources which can remain on a block as it is moved. Many, many reasons.

Best design *Any design* wins a place in the Minecraft hall of fame forever!

There actually is one power source that can be moved: detector rail. Pistons can move detector rail to another suitable block. And the detector rail will stay in place if a piston moves the block its on, as long as it's replaced with another suitable block.

So you'd need some kind of system that has at least two layers of pistons, one set of pistons moving the detector rail and the other layer moving the blocks its on. As the vehicle moves the detector rail would alternate which block it's on, and a minecart to trigger it would be carried along for the ride.

Then you'd have to figure out how to actually wire that detector rail so it controls the pistons. Which would probably require using even more pistons, to trigger other minecarts with powered rail and more detector rail.

"Impossible much? How are we supposed to make something move with redstone if there is nothing to place the redstone on? Also, that monorail is pretty slow. "

*cough* Wright Brothers *cough*

A design where the "pilot" places a pressure plate or something to that effect would be acceptable, even if it reeks of inefficiency. Rule of cool and the like are key here, although a slow semi auto flying machine could have possible applications.

"does a redstone (unmined) block power a piston when its activated? "

It doesn't seem so, no.

"There actually is one power source that can be moved: detector rail. Pistons can move detector rail to another suitable block. And the detector rail will stay in place if a piston moves the block its on, as long as it's replaced with another suitable block.

So you'd need some kind of system that has at least two layers of pistons, one set of pistons moving the detector rail and the other layer moving the blocks its on. As the vehicle moves the detector rail would alternate which block it's on, and a minecart to trigger it would be carried along for the ride.

Then you'd have to figure out how to actually wire that detector rail so it controls the pistons. Which would probably require using even more pistons, to trigger other minecarts with powered rail and more detector rail. "

Holy shart, I summoned genuis inventor regular Hexahedron!

I didn't even think of detector rails!

I need to get to work! Imma build a slow-moving monstrosity which incinerates the land below with lava! :biggrin.gif:

At present, the only truly automatic design would indeed require every part of the machine to be placed in front of an engine. This is impossible, as mentioned, due the the impossibility of transmitting current through a piston. However, the door is still open for exploitation of Hexahedron's point, which is that rails CAN be pushed. Of course, this could be a bit messy and complicated, hence it would also be difficult to make useful.

Thus, I reconstruct my goals to the present mechanism:

*The device built should require only one simple movement to operate on the part of the pilot. Case in point, the device which uses levers and easily broken blocks is very difficult to pilot until one gets the hang of it.
*The device is allowed to waste some form of easily attainable "fuel", such as dirt or cobble.

A design where the "pilot" places a pressure plate or something to that effect would be acceptable, even if it reeks of inefficiency. Rule of cool and the like are key here, although a slow semi auto flying machine could have possible applications.

It doesn't seem so, no.

Holy shart, I summoned genuis inventor regular Hexahedron!

I didn't even think of detector rails!

I need to get to work! Imma build a slow-moving monstrosity which incinerates the land below with lava! :biggrin.gif:

BRILLIANT! AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!

*ahem*

This is my greatest thread.

Sethbling made a video on how to create redstone circuitry only using rail and pistons. Maybe that could provide some inspiration.

The "engine" moves a compartment in front of it (left in the screenshots), which is where you stand. If you put a block on the bottom piston and a lever on top of it, the lever will move all six pistons. The movement is the same as the simple version.

Be aware of a glitch with standing on moving blocks: you need to stand on the line between two blocks. If your body is completely on one block, you will fall through when that block moves.

The moving compartment protects from blasts (obviously, make it out of stone), but you can still be shot directly from the front or back.

edit, this would be awesome for dropping TNT on people in PvP, while being 100% protected from arrows.

However, the door is still open for exploitation of Hexahedron's point, which is that rails CAN be pushed. Of course, this could be a bit messy and complicated, hence it would also be difficult to make useful.

rails have already been thought of and tried the problem is they need a block to stand on however they are the most promising still as they are the only move-able power source

edit, this would be awesome for dropping TNT on people in PvP, while being 100% protected from arrows.

lol untill you reach their tnt cannon xD

i noticed moving upwards is only posible if the amount of blocks under your piston cunstruction is larger then 16 and above must be smaller! so moving upwards is imposible i guess.

you could to move upwards use the 2x4+lever model and remove the toplayer add new pistons and remove the bottom pistons :biggrin.gif: move 1 block upwards but then you could better make a bridge right away xD